Starting Location: Anywhere in the shaded area, preferably in the north.
Society: Generally, there are several independent strongholds, each ruled by a king (Mashap) who is said to be divine. Priests are after the king in terms of power and also function somewhat like a bureaucracy, ensuring the Mashap's orders are well-carried out. Warriors occupy the next rung, and in times of peace, they often double as miners in service of the Mashap. Craftsmen and those who can farm in the underground cities are next. At the bottom are the slaves, usually prisoners of war or those who have committed crimes. A rigid caste system prevents most movement, except for that from peasant to soldier, and even that is only for those who provide extraordinary service when conscripted. Priests are only appointed, either by the Mashap himself or by agreement of the High Council, who are, themselves, appointed by the Mashap. Their cities are mostly underground, to escape from the oppressive heat of the land above.
Religion: The Harashabul follow no gods but their kings. In times of peace, they will regard each others' kings as co-gods, and in times of war, as false pretenders. Should a king die by any means except that of old age, they are "revealed" as a pretender, and a new king is chosen by the High Council.
Mythos: The Harashabul's god-king tradition comes from the legend that once, the Harashabul lived in the far north: a land of peace and tranquility, where the sun's power was not as strong as it was in the south. However, some long-forgotten trickster god promised the Harashabul great wealth if only they would follow him. He led them south, into warmer lands. Some were worried, but the god said that all would be worth it. They went farther, and farther, and the god began resorting to clouding their minds to keep them moving. Finally, he released them in a land where few trees grew, and where there were no mountains in sight. He laughed, and claimed their old fortresses in the north for himself. Outraged at his trickery, the kings of the Harashabul swore vengeance on the gods, that they would never be led astray by them again. Many died soon after in the heat, but eventually, they were able to find mountains once again, even if they were not the same as the ones from where they came, and they established their strongholds anew.
Economy: Most of the stronghold's agriculture stays within the strongholds; those who live on the surface tend to have an aversion to the Harashabul's plants. What the surface-dwellers do seem to like, however, are the gems and metals the Harashabul find when expanding their strongholds. Within the strongholds, most trade occurs in the form of barter.
Country Names (Usually the same as city names): Marashtukh, Sudhar, Hasharin, Kachuntek, Adaran
Place Names:
Stronghold: Harabul
Above-ground city: Harasa
Mountain: Bul
The surface: Asa (oftentimes used as a prefix when addressing people from the surface, especially when meant in respect)
Desert: Saraka
River: Shru
Society: The Men of Dân, commonly referred to as Nyo's Folk or the First of the Middle Race, live in monarchical societies. The right and capacity to rule is derived from one's bloodline: a legitimate ruler must be a direct male-line descendant of Nyo, the first man to awaken from the flesh of the earth. Dânic people recognize the 'Three Ways' of Men: the Way of Control (where men bend the world to their will), the Way of Shelter (where men seek to isolate themselves from the outside, through shelters and walls), and the Way of Strife (where men do lethal battle against one another). The three ways are considered to be a brief summation of human nature. Males are seen as hunters, builders and warriors, while females are regarded as foragers, trappers and healers.
Religion: The Men of Dân recognize no explicitly-named gods, although they hold great reverence for their ancestors, particularly the lineage of Nyo. The Three Ways are considered fundamental to being a human, so most beliefs and taboos are shaped around maintaining order in such a community. The dictates of the House of Nyo establish laws of possession, laws of marriage, and laws of rightful murder.
Mythos: The first humans were born from the material and spirit of the earth, without parents. The greatest of these was Nyo, who awoke deep in the forest of Dan in the first day of men. Here he established the Three Ways, built a shelter and prepared a firelight feast, which was attended by the people who would come to be 'Nyo's Folk'. All humans, including those who did not attend the first feast, are doomed to perpetual reincarnation, until the end of the world.
Economy: The people of the forest of Dân sustained themselves through hunting and gathering. However, as the land's population exploded, the sons and grandsons of Nyo left the forest. In less bountiful regions, they learned agriculture, and formed princely states that ultimately eclipsed their homelands in power and technological advancement. The modern states of Nyo's Folk rely on fishing, agriculture, hunting, logging and mining, depending on their location.
Place Names: -u is the suffix for 'forest'. -gân is the suffix for 'fortress'. -mâs is the suffix for 'town'. -so is the suffix for 'river'. -kôn is the suffix for 'mountain'. Examples are 'Syodogân', Huoso, Nânu, and Jyakôn.
Society: The Ultheyn are composed of eight clans, each ruled by a chieftain, or koyer, who is chosen in a ceremony at Lake Scyllor, the lake where it is rumored the Eightfold Goddess Escyllin resides. Though the Ultheyn claim that the koyer are chosen by Escyllin herself, this has never been witnessed or verified by outsiders. Both men and women can be koyers, and there is generally three of one gender and two of another. The koeyr acts as the executive of the tribe, enforcing the laws which have been passed down generation to generation. An Ultheyn koyer is thus judge, jury, and executioner in any disputes that occur within Ultheyn lands. However, if the clan reaches a consensus that the current koyer is not properly executing the Laws passed down from Escyllin and Doun, then the koyer can be ousted. Though normally these coups are nonviolent, occasionally a koyer who has committed particularly egregious offenses can be exiled from the Ultheyn, the most severe sentence that an Ultheyn can receive. It is telling to note that koyer translates most closely into other languages as “intermediary.”
The laws of the Ultheyn have been passed down from the Progenitor and the Goddess themselves. Supposedly written in one cycle of the moon, the code of laws of the Ultheyn, known as the Oeyr, resemble for the most part the laws of other groups of men, censuring murder, theft, and other common crimes. Certain laws are unique to the Ultheyn however; for example, to go in public without one’s veil is punished much as going around in the nude would be in other Mannish cultures. The Oeyr also proscribes yelling in public; the Ultheyn are for the most part expected to hold themselves to a high level of personal reservation. It is claimed by Ultheyn elders that these laws are in place to preserve harmony among the Sons of Doun and the Daughters of Escyllin. The Oeyr also lays out a coming-of-age ceremony, wherein Ultheyn youth who have reached the age of fifteen are taken to Mount Scyllor, where their semitransparent “training” veils are replaced with opaque (at least from the outside) permanent veils.
Though Ultheyn society revolves around the wearing of veils, or scyns, the Ultheyn are not anonymous to one another. One is completely identifiable by one’s veil, which is decorated in such a way as to describe one’s clan, the date of one’s birth, one’s accomplishments, and one’s place in society. Thus one’s veil is their most valued possession, as they are nearly anonymous on sight without it, and if it is lost, or worse, stolen, one’s identity can be taken or destroyed. “Veilless”, or ryscyns, are quickly and summarily exiled from Ultheyn society, as they are seen as an embarrassment both to their families and to the Ultheyn as a whole. It is unknown whether the Ultheyn wear their veils when they are with their partners in private.
Every year, up to fifty unfortunate souls who are unlucky enough to wander into the Vale are captured and, rather than being killed, are taken to Scyllor. There they are imprinted, some say by torture and some say by the Eightfold Goddess herselves, and made into the Bound, or Pokkych, loyal servants of the Ultheyn who act as their proxies in the world outside the Vale. Through the Pokkych the Ultheyn are able to conduct trade and diplomacy with other peoples, when such an unsavory prospect is deemed necessary.
Ultheyn settlements rarely exceed fifty individuals, though towns of up to two thousand have grown up and are typically the residents of the koyer. Most Ultheyn prefer an agrarian or pastoral lifestyle; hunting is rare, and meat is rather uncommon in Ultheyn diets. Fish from mountain rivers do make up a large part of Ultheyn meals, and rice is a staple crop throughout their Vale, Thadynner.
The Ultheyn have never experienced warfare between clans, excluding a few small feuds between minor families which were quickly and harshly resolved by the koyers. And they rarely execute campaigns far from their domain. For a long time, closer to Ultheyn lands, villages which grew up nearby were unceremoniously ransacked and destroyed in single nighttime raids, leaving only a handful of survivors each time. Over time these survivors’ stories became known throughout the world, and none thereafter dared settle within close proximity to the Ultheyn borders. This unsettled ring around the Vale is known as the Gap, or the Pascyllar, meaning Ring of Safety in Ultheyn. An Ultheyn who has passed through the Pascyllar into the outside world, or Nyolyn, is known as a Nyolakar, “one who has braved the domain of Nyo.”
Religion
Religion in Ultheyn culture revolves around worship and devotion to Escyllin, known alternately as the Eightfold Goddess, Eight-Mother, Spider-Mother or the Womb of Thadynner (though outsiders who know of her and who hold no love for the Ultheyn know her as “The Whore of the Vale” or “the Insect,” leading to common pejoratives for the Ultheyn such as “spiderlings” or “bugs.”
Escyllin is known to be demanding of her followers, requiring regular animal sacrifices and daily prayers. However, if one were to ask an Ultheyn, the benefits of her favor are many. They believe that she has granted them powers unique to them among all other men which have placed them at the pinnacle of mortal creation. They also believe that her magics protect the Vale, and binds the Bound, the Pokkych. Each of the eight clans worships their ancestral Incarnation, the aspect of Escyllin from which they are descended.
Each Incarnation of Escyllin represents a different trait shared by the Ultheyn, though each Incarnation’s patron clan is known to excel in their respective Incarnation’s trait. The Incarnation Fyllon and her clan stand for Deception, Wissel for Quickness, Queryn for Knowledge, Stascyn for Bravery, Elyl for Survival, Scerrand for Devotion, Fascylar for Arcana, and Marscyll for Darkness*.
It is the belief of many Ultheyn that one day they will bring Escyllin’s rule to the world, as they say “the Web will cover all; mountain, lowlands, and sea.” Others believe that Escyllin intends for them to remain within the Vale to protect her in perpetuity, as “the Spider strays not far from her web.” These two schools of thought come into constant conflict and debate within Ultheyin society, though these arguments never become too heated thanks to the laws of the Oeyr.
Mythos:
SpoilerMythos :
The Unseen
“…so you want to hear my story? The tale of this scar?”
The traveler pointed at the red line that ran over his blind eye. His companions nodded.
“It is your turn anyways; this will be the last one before we sleep!”
“Very well, but remember, when I am finished, that this is a story you all asked me to tell…
…you all have heard of the Unseen I trust, those who reside in the Vale of Shadows on the other side of those mountains yonder? You know of them, yes, but I doubt that any of you know the first thing about their true nature. For, as you know, few have ever seen one, and no man has ever seen an Unseen’s face and lived to tell the tale. They say that they Unseen are Men, like us, though of course rumors abound, some say they are Elves, others Orcs, and some have even said that they are beings of a higher order. To you though, I say they are Men; too vindictive to be Elves and too graceful to be Orcs.
The Unseen allow none who enter their realm in the Vale of Shadows to leave, at least not freely. These unfortunate souls only leave the Vale as the Bound, slaves to the Unseen who act as their proxies in the outside world, for purposes of both diplomacy and trade. I know not what binds them to their masters, whether it be magic or fear or a bit of both. Whatever it is, they are absolutely loyal to their masters, and act as their eyes and ears in the outside world, and their protectors when an Unseen deigns to leave the Vale. It so happens that in the village where I was born, a man robbed and murdered an Unseen, sneaking up to him while he was sleeping in his camp nearby. Why that Unseen was there I will never know, and there were none in my village who were willing to go close to the dead body, so we left it there. One week later, I, at the age of ten, awoke to the terrifying sounds of women screaming and fires crackling and raging. I smelled smoke, and realized that my own house was burning, and looked at the floor to see my parents and my younger sister dead, killed by the Unseen with brutal slashes
Unable to comprehend what was happening, I froze when an Unseen, his face veiled, walked into my house and approached me. He said to me “you will be our witness; go, child, and tell all you meet what you have seen. He swiftly took out his blade and slashed my face, creating a cut deep enough to scar me. It took everything I had to stop the bleeding and survive, and I left the burnt husk of my and became a wanderer. And so, here I am, the man from the village that had the misfortune of housing one foolish enough to cross the Unseen.”
Doun, the Progenitor
The Unseen, or as they call themselves the Ultheyn, trace their patrimony back to Doun, also called Dyo, a brother of Nyo. Dyo is widely presumed in the world of men to have unfortunately perished while venturing too far from the Forest of Dan. The Ultheyn, however, know another truth. Dyo, according to the Ultheyn, bore witness to Nyo’s brutal murder of his own brother who had committed the crime of insubordination. Dyo could not accept rule on such terms, and so, in the dark of night, he silently crept away from Nyo’s camp. Dyo was thankful to the Dark of Night for providing him with cover to escape the grasp of Nyo, but his luck appeared to run out when he ran into a great bear, who managed to slash a large gash in Dyo’s shoulder before Dyo slew him with his spear. But in what the Ultheyn believe to be the first act of Deception performed by any Man, Dyo deduced that he could leave the bloodied furs he was wearing behind so that Nyo and his followers would believe him to be dead.
The wounded Dyo, who would decide to call himself Doun so as to disassociate himself completely from Nyo’s tribe, made his way across the desolate land, seeking a place of safety. He finally found this refuge in the mountains of the Vale of Shadows, or the Thadynner. There was game to be hunted and berries to be foraged within the valley. Doun decided that he would live out his days in peace in Thadynner, safe from Nyo’s tyranny.
Escyllin, Eight-Mother
Doun’s plans would change when, after pursuing a deer up a mountain path, he found a great lake at the summit of one mountain, Scyllor, which means the Web. The ground shook beneath him, and he beheld a great spider, which divided itself into eight veiled maidens rising from the waters. They spoke as one, proclaiming
“We are Escyllin, the Eightfold Goddess and ruler of this Vale! Who do We speak to?”
Doun responded
“O spare me, great Goddess, for you see I am but a Man, seeking refuge from the cruelty of my race.”
“Man? Interesting, you are like no other creature We have yet encountered. You bear resemblance to an Elf, and yet We can sense that you do not have the blessing of long life, as they do. Indeed, you have not even fathered children. What do you plan to leave behind, Man…Doun?”
“I plan to leave nothing behind, for any children I might have would be cursed to live in this world, always fearing that they may be found by the murderous tribes of other Men.”
“Then it seems we can help each other, dear Doun. You see, Our existence is also finite; of course, not in the way yours is. We simply cannot leave this mountain. We are bound to it. And yet, if We were to bear the children of one not bound as we are, those children would carry us with them. We would protect them, aiding them in remaining Unseen to other Men. And one day, Our descendants may grow strong enough to wipe out these sickeningly violent Men you speak of. And, since We are Eight, we can bear you many children. Your short time in this world will not be wasted, for your descendants must grow strong in number.”
The Eight Tribes of the Ultheyn
Doun, unable to resist the beguiling Goddess and her Incarnations, consented, and so the Eightfold Goddess bore him many children, and the lineage of each Incarnation would become one of the Eight Tribes of the Ultheyn. Each is named after their patroness Incarnation; there are the Fyllon, the Wissels, the Queryns, the Stascyns, the Elyl, the Scerrands, the Fascylar, and the Marscyll. The Tribes are typically cordial with each other, but each has inevitably developed into something distinct from the others. All of the Tribes are absolutely committed to the defense of the Vale however, and eyes are everywhere on the perimeter of Ultheyn lands.
Every year, up to fifty unfortunate souls who are unlucky enough to wander into the Vale are captured and, rather than being killed, are taken to Scyllor. There they are imprinted, some say by torture and some say by the Eightfold Goddess herselves, and made into the Bound, or Pokkych, loyal servants of the Ultheyn who act as their proxies in the world outside the Vale. Through the Pokkych the Ultheyn are able to conduct trade and diplomacy with other peoples, when such an unsavory prospect is deemed necessary.
All Ultheyn wear veils at all times, in the style of the Eightfold Goddess. Murder within Ultheyn society is punished not with death, which is seen as more murder, but by exile and deveiling, two of the most terrifying things which can happen to an Ultheyn who has spent his whole life in the Vale. If an exile attempts to return, he will be treated as an outsider, or Eyn, and killed or bound.
The Ultheyn share unique talents of deception and stealth. As warriors, they strike quickly and to kill from the shadows, and disappear just as quickly. It is not known how they would fare on an open field, and none have yet dared to invade the Vale. War against outsiders is taken as retribution for any action taken against an Ultheyn who has, for whatever reason, chosen to venture into the outside world. The killing of outsiders, even fellow Men, is not seen as a crime anymore, as the Ultheyn believe that they have ascended above all other Men with the union of Doun and Escyllin.
Outsiders can do nothing but guess at the Ultheyn’s intentions, and indeed within the Vale there is disagreement about when, if at all, the sinful world should be cleansed, as the Eight-Mother proclaimed. The Ultheyn for now are unsure of the future, but do their best to make sure that those who know of them are always plagued by doubt as well.
Economy
The Ultheyn, surprisingly, do conduct trade with the outside world. Business is usually conducted by the Bound, though occasionally an Ultheyn will venture out themselves if the business is too important to be conducted by the weak minds of the Bound. The Vale is rich in agricultural wealth, and the talents of Ultheyn weavers, due to the importance of the production of veils, combined with the presence of silkworms in addition to sheep makes for a rather prolific amount of textiles streaming out of the Vale into the rest of the world. Ultheyn textiles are craved far and wide by the rich and powerful, and owning clothing of made from Ultheyn cloth is often a sign of status.
Country Names: The clan names Fyllon, Wissel, Queryn, Stascyn, Elyl, Scerrand, Fascylar, and Marscyll are the primary players at present, though the Pescyn, Styl, Randraear, and Rascylil families are also prominent in Ultheyn society
Person Names: Masculine names and words typically end with –n, -r, and –g. Some examples are Raen, Tarscyn, Koun, Levascyr, Revar, War, Scyg, Oeg, and Paraeg. Other male names include Rastym, Warscyd, Mersema, Reama, Gour and Estescyllem.
Feminine names and words are typified by –l, -y, and –t endings. Examples include Vescyll, Perlil, Smatly, Evy, Pret, and Ereat.
These personal names are usually derived from either typical nouns or from family names.
Family names vary in gender and ending and are typically only used by wealthier, more powerful Ultheyn. They include Stecyllon, Pretar, Lylliny, Raerarg, and Stillitet.
Place Names Places are typically named after either a feature of the location or a family or individual who discovered or rules the location with suffixes added on.
Typical suffixes are –oey for forests, -gescyn for forts, -lor for mountains, -aer for rivers, -ner for vale, -mer for valley, and –eon for settlements.
Some examples of places are the fortress Evygescyn, the mountain Stecyllor**, the forest of Rastymoey, and the great river Lyllinaer, which leads into Thadynner. The largest settlement in Thadynner is Ascylleon, “Eigth City.”
*Darkness Here meaning literal darkness and stealth, rather than "dark magics," which would fall under Arcana
**Elision is commonly used in the Ultheyn dialects, including when combining family names and place suffixes
As one of the many fans of World of Warcraft, it would be of utmost pleasure to have a Troll character ... posting in some time. Probably close to the Orcs... Durotar/DarkSpear
I'll take the big island in the far east, all on its lonesome.
Culture Name: The People [Elves]
Starting Location: The big eastern island.
Society: To the People, the hunt is an addiction. On proud steeds hefting long lances and horn bows, the People boil out of their hill forts, past the homes of their retainers, the shacks of their thralls and the endless fields which the thralls cultivate to support the Peoples long hunts. With hard obsidian flecked eyes and cruel cries, the hosts of the People hunt all kinds of beasts from rabbits to giants.
It is their skills on the hunt that grants them the right to rule. For without the People to protect and rule the other intelligent races man, ork, dwarf and gnome would soon fall into the hated giants pots. The hunt then is more than the search for food. Rather, it is a hunt for survival in the face of an unforgiving world.
The whole society of the People and their subjects willing and unwilling relies on this fact. Without it, the retainers would shirk their tasks, and the thralls would abandon the fields. Yet with it, the supplies that the People require to continue the hunt continue to flow and the social structure of society with the People at the top and the others arrayed below stands firm.
Below the People are the retainers who comprise those who willingly reside with the People in exchange for protection. Below them are the thralls who comprise those the People have been forced to take under their care. Over time, most thralls become retainers as the wisdom and benevolence of the People becomes clear. There are perhaps ten retainers and thralls for each of the People.
Within the People there are numerous divisions. All settlements of the People are governed by a first clan which controls the administration of justice and the planning of the next hunt. Below them are the other clans who are obliged to provide warriors to serve alongside the first clan. In smaller settlements there might be one clan numbering perhaps a hundred People settlements with smaller numbers of the People are considered unsafe. In the largest settlements there might be as many as a thousand People.
Religion: The People worship a range of gods as diverse as their thralls and retainers are numerous. There are however common threads to be found of the gods. Almost all are warrior gods because for this is a warlike world. All promise a sure hand, a swift stead and a light fall. And all promise the eventual triumph of civilization over the forces of chaos. The religious iconographies of these deities which some of the People believe are all but manifestations of One God hold the sun in common. The thralls and retainers for their part worship the things in life: trade, commerce and agriculture.
Mythos: The People claim that a long time ago there was a great war in the East and that the ancestors of the People struck the last blow against the King of the Snakes by piercing its eye repeatedly with a lance. More recently, the People believe that it was their ancestors who rallied the intelligence races together to defeat the Great Giant King who led his hordes to the plains and ravaged the land.
Economy: The People are a warrior people and do not give much attention to such things as trade, commerce and agriculture. That is the proper realm of retainers and thralls. In any case, the relative safety of the People and their drive to acquire more thralls and retainers no matter the source has seen the economy on which the People rely explode in all directions. Thralls and retainers ply the coasts and criss-cross the land trading; farm all manner of crops; fish all manner of water bodies; fell all manner of trees to deny the enemy Territory; build all manner of buildings and produce all manner of goods.
Country Names: Potential names for polities arising from your culture. More relevant later on
Person Names: Common names for members of your culture of both genders
Place Names: Titles your culture might give to different places, or just general terms like the words for town or fort, etc.
The cone of glowing sticks crackled and fell in on themselves, shooting up a wash of sparks from the fire's hungry maw. Two sparks flew upwards from this tiny maelstrom. They twirled around and around each other, ever higher, before vanishing into nothingness.
Two men sat there. The first wore a grey robe, and a grey hood pulled over his face, leaving a gray beard to be exposed to the light-shadow of the fire's illumination.
The second man was not young, but he had not yet reached middle age. His quick dark eyes darted back and forth, scanning the trees, then the fire. His cloak had been rich once, perhaps red, but it was so splattered with mud that little of the original remained. In his hand he held a broken sword.
"So, this is it, then," said the not-young man. "It is finished."
"I can sustain you no longer, Arnym," said the hooded man, through gritted teeth.
Arnym sighed. "How long do I have?"
"Until the Voidfather opens his eyes."
"And in this body?"
"A thousand heartbeats."
The man put his head in his hands, wiping away a thin trickle of blood that trailed down the corner of his mouth. "Our king is dead."
"You will not have to grieve his absence long, Arnym."
The not-young man, who wore what must have once been magnificent armor before the chestplate was shattered and torn, raised his head to look at the man who stared into the fire.
"Fatemark...all this time I never learned...your true name."
The mouth that protruded from under the hood resolved itself into a grin.
"Another man would be cursed for asking. But there is little I can curse you with now, is there?"
Arnym coughed, and a spatter of blood joined the dried crust on the front of his armor.
"My scale-name is Zalkrandi."
The fire sparked, almost in answer.
At that moment, a man burst into the camp, dressed much like the red-cloaked soldier but in leather, studded with steel.
"Fallen One, a fire, now? They are not far behind! We must fl-"
An arrow punched into his back and his face twisted in agony, only to be half-ripped off by the next one which pierced through his cheek, spattering blood across the forest humus. A wet gurgle represented his last words to the world, as bestial shouts of triumph now grew closer.
The first of the three orcs that strode into the camp placed his claw-like foot on the fallen scout's skull. Then, with a single, brutal motion, crushed it.
His mouth spread open, showing far too many teeth, and he roared at the not-young soldier and the grey-hooded man, flecks of spit flying as far as the fire where they struck with a light hiss.
"Your master is dead," he hissed. "Now WE will have your blood."
Arnym stood and stepped forward, swaying unsteadily. "The Emperor sleeps. He....will return."
The orc laughed, and stepped into the camp, ignoring the old man. "The gods have crushed you." He stepped across the fire. "They laugh at your doom."
He stepped forward again, now but a few feet from the soldier, and cocked his head.
"Can you hear?"
Arnym tried a wobbly slash with his sword, which the orc caught in his hand. He twisted the blade out of his grasp, not seeming to care that a trickle of blackish blood was traveling down his arm.
The orc chuckled again, a low rumbling undertone.
"They are laughing."
And then he grabbed the soldier by the neck and pushed his face into the blazing coals of the fire.
"AHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHH! AGGGHHHHH!"
The coals hissed, and the camp filled with the smell of burning meat. Throughout all of this, the hooded man had been staring down at the ground from his seat on a log, quietly whispering to himself. He made a small gesture with his left hand, which attracted one of the orc lackeys' attention.
He strode forward with a curved shortsword and made a clumsy slash at the defenseless old man's head.
Then stared, puzzled, as his arm hung suspended in the air above it.
"That was a word of power," said the man, conversationally. "I do not often expend them."
The lead orc looked up from the fire where he was charring the now-dead Arnym's face, reassessing this man as a threat.
"Maaaaaja," he hissed. "For you, the Elf-King will give me RED GOLD!" And he charged the few feet that separated them in a headlong bullrush, drawing his sword.
And he too, found himself suspended but inches from the hooded man, still seated, who picked up a leaf and twisted it between his fingers.
"Your spells," grunted the orc, forcing his blade slowly closer to the hooded man's face through sheer force of will, "aaaare WEAK."
The hooded man stood, and at last cast off his hood.
A few flickering flames happily burned on in the section of the campfire that was not occupied by Arnym's corpse, and these illuminated the man's face. He was bald, with a stark, high cheek-boned face, but on his forehead, faintly illuminated with each cast of the flame, there seemed to be the shadow of a mark.
His eyes were red.
"Son of Njos, your final task is at hand. AJVELYSJAR."
The green leaf the unhooded man held turned black.
And Arnym's corpse rose, his ruined, blackened face still smoking from the fire, eyes glowing as red as his summoner's. He picked up his fallen sword.
The third orc ran towards him, screeching, and put his blade through the corpse's chest. Arnym did not react to this, but stabbed the handle of his broken sword through the orc's eye socket, which hooted in dismay as it died.
"MAAAAAAAJA," roared the lead orc. "YOU. DIE!" The un-hooded man met the bestial creature's gaze as he forced the blade to within an inch of his face.
Then the point of the broken sword of the man that was Arnym appeared through the front of the lead orc's neck.
The orc drew a rattling breath. He looked confused, and then offended. And then the Arnym-corpse pulled out the blade and beheaded him.
The head toppled to the ground as nerveless hands dropped the blade, still wearing that same look of insult and confusion.
The man turned to look at the remaining orc, still paralyzed. "Tell your brothers what you saw." He spread his palm, and the orc's arms went limp. Without a word, he fled back the way he came.
"Your task is done, Arnym," said Zalkrandi. "Return to the body of the Maker."
The corpse sighed with relief, and the light went out of its eyes. It collapsed to the ground, immediately shriveling.
The man brushed off his clothes, replaced his hood, and walked into the forest, leaving the corpses. The embers of the dying fire flickered on in his gloaming wake.
Society:
The Kuldnengjer count a few tribes originating in Svartkleppe, 'the Black Coast', with night-colored sand crushed from a pitch black mountain. They base their livelihood on fishing and trading along the coasts. As such, shipbuilding and sailing is central to their society, and becoming a lejer, a captain of the fishermen, is amongst the highest standings in a village.
Villages are arranged in tingjer or stateholds; collectives; which are each ruled by a begstekneng, literally 'of-the-citystar', but more appropriately anointed a 'city navigator'. Kuldnengjer navigation is well-developed and they have an advanced understanding of celestial bodies, using them for direction when on the sea; the intricate school of navigating a ship is here mirrored by the intricate school of managing a tingje's bureaucracy.
While formal rule is more often than not patriarchal, the begstekneng usually being male, the Circle of Elda is matriarchal and encompasses all religious and scholarly practices of the Kuldnengjer. The common people is equal under the law in most Kuldnengjer societies save a few exceptions.
Religion:
The religious rituals, liminal practices and trace of education existing in Kuldnengjer society is overseen by the Circle of Elda. The Circle is based around a cult following of Elda, who is a legendary woman personified as both human ingenuity, human slyness and the very cosmologically central sea. Most rites-of-passage are performed in the salty sea or near water; women are expected to give birth in it; when children come of age (usually around OTL adolescence) they are expected to stay in it for about an hour; marriages are performed in it; weekly communion is done on river banks, beaches, near lakes etc. Water and the sea are very central to the Circle of Elda and albeit local practices and concrete beliefs vary, most of it is about the sea personified in Elda herself as she conquered the white skjarp and became both one with and the lord of the Deep. Similar to how God is three entities in Christianity, according to mythology, Elda’s essential being parted into both the sea and the ruler of the sea.
All of these practices and their cosmology are overseen and mediated through the Circle Sisters; the matriarchal priesthood of the Kuldnengjer. They clothe themselves in pure white clothing (similar to the rare white skjarp) with knitting emulating scales, seal fur or walrus tusks, according to each individual ‘sten’ or religious community.
Whales have a special relevance with the Kuldnengjer. Whales are seen as sacred creatures. They are huntable, similar to the central position fish have – the Kuldnengjer prey on fish and whales, but also hold the creatures sacred, expressing thanks to the sea before eating. In the Kuldnengjer worldview, whales are all tiny children of a huge Beast of the Deep, a gargantuan whale said to belong thousands of feet below the surface. When the Beast surfaces, which is said to happen once every hundred years or so, the Kuldnengjer see a new age as passing. This usually has the Circle Sisters gather regardless of sten and rethink the Kuldnengjer as a common people. According to Kuldnengjer history, the age after the first BT is about the thirty-sixth.
[...] When the world was risen from the Deep, it was still a barren glacier of winterwalk,
and there were no beings from highest to lowest, not even the smallest lichen grew there.
The ice and rock slept through a slumbering winter, and time crept as ages past.
But then, a thousand stars in the sky coalesced into the sun, and it brought the first
spring, and with it, seasons bode ready the waves of time. The currents drove around the
world, and it was no longer a stale frostlands. With the sun's light, the first stormflower
blossomed. A white skjarp noticed its beauty, and in blissed awe it cast itself out of the
water onto a flintstone. When it breathed the air, it realized it had become fisleng. The
stormflower blossomed into a beautiful maid, and they made marriage.
Before their death, their thousand sons became the people of Svartkleppe. They were
plentiful but hungry during winter. One day, there was a beautiful girl named Elda. She
walked by the Deep as another white skjarp showed its face at the surface. When she
asked it where it was heading, it answered: "My brother once went ashore. I am here to
bring him back and take his place." Afraid of being pulled back into the Deep, Elda wished
to plead. But she noted it eyed her figure, and she said: "This is our land. Do not just take
it and plunge us into the sea." "But I will," the white skjarp answered. "No you will not.
Have me instead of your land," she said. The white skjarp was tempted, but knew she was
a landleng.
"But you can never be close to me," it said, "You can not cross water." "Then teach my
people to sail," Elda replied. So the skjarp did. And Svartkleppe built boats and she sailed a
kjeppe over the white skjarp. But it grew weary with it and wanted the land. Again, she
denied it access. "But you can never be with me," the white skjarp said, "You cannot stay
in water." "Then teach my people to swim," Elda said. So the skjarp did. And the people
dove from their boats into the great Deep and she swam with the white skjarp. But it grew
weary with it and wanted the land. Again, she denied. "But you can never live with me,"
the white skjarp said, "You cannot eat in water." "Then teach my people to fish," Elda
commanded. So the skjarp did. So Elda went to live in the sea with the skjarp.
But she had again tricked him. As such, when they made marriage, she impaled him and
gave his children to the fislengjer so that they would never starve.
Such was the beginning of Kuldnengjer. They owe everything and nothing to the sea. For
they were given the power of the fisleng, and the power is choice. [...]
Their whole language and worldview centers around the sea and coast; in their creation myth, man is descendant from the sea, which explain the etymological origins of their word for human (fisleng; of-the-fish)
Economy:
As the common Kuldnengjer food is almost wholly based upon fishing, they are naturally adept fishermen, traders and shipbuilders. Fishing techniques, as such, are therefore very advanced. Shipcraft is quite advanced for their time so woodcutting and the technology surrounding it is quite advanced. They have an excellent understanding of the night sky and have developed intricate systems navigating the sea by the stars. Trading is also lucrative as a Kuldnengjer. With the easy access to maritime life and fast and sturdy ships, traders reach far to the south and north, exporting fine shell dust dye and amber jewelry.
While they are quite technologically able with all things maritime, they lack somewhat in inland development. Their understanding of agriculture is poor and it does not help that Circle Sisters usually preach going towards the sea rather than going inland and understanding how to cultivate the land. Tradition tells the young to go to the sea. Only few societies exist inland and they are the societies that are the furthest from the traditional Kuldnengjer mythos. A few sten exist here, sometimes weirdly dressing the Circle Sisters like bears or wolves rather than seals, fish, squids etc. Also, construction and masonry is not very developed outside shipwright: while ships are grand and advanced (and sometimes homes to chieftains who prefer to live on the sea over living on the land), land huts are sometimes made of mud or layered skins. On the other hand, they do have a surprisingly good understanding of metallurgy and the uncultivated land leaves a lot of natural life untouched. Herbology is well-understood by Circle Sisters and the rich diversity inland allows them to gather sacred, healthy or even hallucinogenic weeds and flowers.
Country Names:
Svartkleppe (my country, ideally, means black coast and is a beach black as night)
Visjakleppe (white coast, is in reality a pink hue)
Kleppetrel (castle by the coast)
Seljeboljer (waves of seals)
Tojenseker (thousand lakes)
Visjaseke (white lake)
Ulnefloje (wolf river)
Jernfloje (bear river)
Person Names:
Names aren’t considered masculine or feminine in Kuldnengjer.
Elda (the most common name of Kuldnengjer for obvious reasons)
Salga
Kelda
Kvartan
Sigur
Kjebbe
Alban
Jern (means bear)
Ulje (derives from uln, wolf)
Ful (means bird)
Majen (means seagull)
Fis (means fish)
Place Names:
Most of the country names I have used are simply named after their localities; of course Ulnefloje and Jernfloje would be placed along the river.
The river’s real name though, is Kernfloje (iron river), the not-Finland marshland is Tojenseker, then there’s areas like Svartkleppe and Visjakleppe that are derived from the beaches themselves. The sea is known as the Deep.
Society: Morathi society is divided into various small states each usually ruled either by a hereditary lineage of mages, or by warlords who have shown their power and established their right to rule. All regardless of their particular state are known as princes, and as is customary all rule their subjects with an iron fist. For the Princes play judge, jury and executioner over the chattel of the morathi flock, and as shepherd over the herd their will is absolute and unbound by any outside authority... save one. For all princes answer to the one known as the Morah, the living oracle of the gods of the Morathi, and when the Morah speaks the princes obey for the voice of the Morah is the will of their gods. Fortunately perhaps for the princes, the Morah customarily doesn't interfere in the affairs of the various princedoms of the Morathi, and only exercises the offices authority on rare occasions, usually when commanding conquest of a rival nation, or a mass gathering of sacrifices for some unknown end.
As for the rest of society it is divided between nobility (those with magical lineage, priests, warriors, and the wealthy) the commons (craftsmen, merchants and farmers) and slaves.
Religion: The gods of the Morathi are dark and horrifying, and they are numerous. The faithful believe that these gods are "kin" to each other (as compared to other families of gods, such as those of the elves) and must be propitiated with sacrifices of blood and soul if they are to be swayed to spare the Morathi from their machinations, and if their favour is to be sought for the spread of the dominion of the Morah. For as a capricious god takes away, so it can give. Each god has its own cults and priests, with Morah being in effect high priest of all the gods of the morathi. The Morathi gods include amongst their number but are not limited to...
Zazikolel, the keeper of secrets and hidden knowledge. He who sees the threads of fate Kel vasheth, the ageless watcher who dispenses power to those found interesting Dagda-Molon the tyrant god and lord of conquest. The bloody warlord who revels in the slain Taz katal the night lord who hunts in the darkness and revels in murder and the chase. Maha Kai The devourer of souls and master of the void Dirwen valaka The maker of things and lord of industry Denshuval Master of revelry and greed, patron of all who delight in worldly things Gorrog duhwan spreader of disease and corruption, and yet healer all the same Ashnamorata The lord of madness, master of illusions and delighter in chaos. Moraten The abstainer Nejosh Giver of life and allotter of years, father of dragons slain by the enemy gods of the elves
Mythos: The Morathi believe that they came into being by a rare collaborative effort of their gods in jealous and spiteful response to the creation of the elves by a rival divinity. Nejosh created mans body and soul and allotted the years of their lives with his gift, Zazikolel gave to them creation the spirit to comprehend and understand, Kel Vasheth curiosity, Taz Katal the joy of the hunt and Maha Kai fear of death. Dirwen Valaka in its turn gave them the urge to create, and Denshuval their carnal and material desires. Gorrog Duhwan for his part made them susceptible to disease that the weak might be culled from the strong, and Ashnamorata delighting in madness gave them the spark of genius and innovation, for genius as they say is next to madness. All other men to the Morathi simply came to be as people left the fold of the Morathi and found service with other gods, such being the fate of the lesser houses of men and those deceived by the lies of the elves, whereas other races came into being they believe at the hands of alien gods, or through magical alteration.
Ultimately over time, the Morathi ruled a great Empire often called Arnval under the dragon Tyrnath, with the princes of the Morathi ruling as Kings under the High King of Men. This Empire ruled all the lands around what became the inner sea, and fought with the elves, and the orcs for dominion over creation. Yet in its hubris the Empire under Tyrnath and the High King sought to challenge not only the spiteful gods of the elves, but the gods who gave man thought and being as well, and for this defiance the gods in their wrath swept the Empire from the face of the Earth and scattered man near and far. Yet the morathi gods, bound together as kin are cunning, and prior to this moment hidden form the gaze of the other gods (who fixated upon the hubris of Tyrnath) they summoned Morah into being, and the Morah speaking with the voice of the gods revealed the kin of Nejosh to the Morathi, and led the greater remnant of the Morathi, those who were not so blinded by the dragon as to stand defiant against the decree of fate, away from the coming doom to their dwelling place on the edge of Ardval. Here the Morah set up the order of their society in the image of the Empire, save with new reverence for the gods of man that the people might endure and never fall to the deceptions of the elves and the spitefulness of dragons. The Morathi thus now seek to restore their former glory as the true heirs to the dominion of Arnval.
Economy: Economy is agriculturally based with fields supporting mining towns and the manufacturing centres of the cities. Coastal towns fish the seas although the Morathi tend to look landward. slavery is common practice, and indeed men are bred and raised not only for servitude in the field or the forge, but also for the altar that their souls might feed the gods.
Country Names: Sargoth, Morathium, Zelvakesh, Kelmorash
What no love for the Giants? This must be corrected (Done).
Culture Name: Giants of Brookmoor Starting Location: Somewhere around the lake in the middle of the land
Spoiler:
Society: The Giants of Brookmoor society function as a tribal society but instead of one Giant who rules the rest the tribe has a sort of caste hierarchy. Most of the tribe decisions are made by the Elders in the tribe. The Elders are the most respected giants in the tribe because of the wisdom these old beings carry from the many experiences they had in their lifetime. Under these Elders are the adult Giants who either raise the livestock in the tribe, take care of the farms, defend the the tribes borders from other hostile giants, and taking care of the younglings while training them in for their suitable role in the tribe. Younglings role in the tribe are to listen to the teachings of the adults so as to prepare for their role when they reach the age for their right of passage into adulthood. The Giants of Brookmoor follow a code of rules that were set up by their forefathers that dictate all the adults and younglings must respected both their Elders and their ancestors. The Crime for specking out/disrespecting them can either lend to banishment from the tribe to even death. Other codes that the giants follow include everyone pulls their weight meaning that no giant unless they are to young (1 to 6 year old)/sick can lazy around. Everyone in the tribe must work or else they will not be able to eat. The Giants code does allow the killing of kin unless the Elders see a good reason for it being either because they have been steal food/ or for other criminal behavior.
Religion:The Giants of Brookmoor praise their ancestors the 4 Titans of Brookmoor. The name of these Titans were Olahi Titan of the lands, Wabeen Titan of Sun, Cron Titan of the Skies, and Ayalida Titan of the lakes and seas. These Titans were massive beings with unimaginable amount of power. These all mighty beings use to walk the same lands that The Giants of Brookmoor now walk but as soon as the giants were created the 4 Titans simply disappeared from this world. Many in the tribe have questioned why the Titans left this world. Their have been some theories to their disappearance. Some believe that the Titans abandon the giants while others think that the Titans have gone into a slumbering state residing in core of the world but so far no giant alive know what truly happened to them but the Giants still keep hope that one day these beings will return to these mortal planes.
Mythos:
Spoiler:
In the beginning their was nothing but the dark. This creature was always black and never let any come into it realm. Their were no lands,no seas, no trees, and no life, but only darkness itself. In this darkness no light could shine because if it did it would be shallow by the ever looming blackness or so was thought until four bright lights flash so colorful through the darkness. The darkness tried it hardest to devour these light but for some reason the creature could eat these light no matter how much it tried. These four light start to form into the four beings. Olahi was the first to come into being then came Wabeen, Cron, and Ayalida the last of the beings to form. The darkness saw this as a threat to his realm and did battle with these four beings. It was a long battle but in the end the darkness was beaten and was forced to retreat into another realm beyond this one. These beings who were victorious began what the event that the Giant called "The Arisen". In this event the Titans who they now call themselves started the process of creating the world. Olahi lay the groundwork while Ayalida flood some of the groundwork with water to add balance. Wabeen created the Sun and the moon while Cron made the stars and the clouds. After created the many feature to this world the Titans began creating different kinds of animals. With the world full of many breed of animals the Titans thought it world be a perfect to add creatures of their likeness into this world so they created the first giants to inhabit this world. In the many years to come by the Giants and the Titans have live side by side with one another even to the point that the Titans mated with their creations and produce more giants. This was an great era for the giants until one fateful day Titans disappear. The giants called out to their makers but they never came. The Giants were left to travel the land wondering whatever happen to their makers and have till this very day till have no answers.
Economy: The Giants of Brookmoor most of the natural resources around them. Their were Giant fishermen that use the lake, Giants Shepard that hear yaks, goat, and other livestock for many other product like cheese, and their were Giant farmers that create huge plot of farmland which produce many crops like wheat,corn, and other crops. The Giants most use resources are stone and wood because they use them for making their weapons and farming tools. The Giant tend to wear the furs from large animals like bears and yaks to keep them self warm in the cold seasons.
Country Names: Brookmoor, Nororcium, Rhodontand, Cranthul, Timynica
Person Names:
Male names: Unde, Therk, Iengo, Worh, Amore, Jadwor, Ferodard
Female: Tress, Evora, Phoel, Ekini, Aormy, Leetenth, Byworale
Place Names: The Giants of Brookmoor are not very creative when it come to coming up with names for certain geological areas. Some time the name of the place is decide by either characteristics, name of the giant that discover the area, or by what direction it located in. Example: Unde discover a waterfall and named it Unde Falls or since this mountains have peaks sharp like bear tooth it will be name Bear tooth Mountains.
Culture Name: Yallwin Elves, or Elves of the Tower.
Starting Location: The rivers that originate the great river where the Malich humans are. (To the South).
Society: The elven society changes slightly between the Night Elves and the Elves of Light. Both value the arts, especially architecture, music, poetry, painting and drama. They also have great love for education and learning, plus they value freedom above all else. They fight to the end for their lives, because they do not believe in afterlife. Politically, they tend to favor the wiser, having in focus wisdom and grace rather than strength. The Elves of Light value sports such as swimming, running and riding. They love the grass as much as the water, and they often seek to cool off in their pools. The Night Elves have a love for music and dance that exceeds that of the other elves, becoming excellent in these areas. Due to the habit of avoiding the sun, they sleep during the day. As swimming at night is dangerous, they avoid this activity, but in return they love walking in the woods.
Religion: There are two versions of the same religion. In both versions, Galladan created the world and left it in the hands of his sons, Atalladan and Falladan. However, when the Elven people divided, their religious view also divided. The Elves of Light see in Atalladan, the Lord of the Light, a benevolent Being, however seeing Falladan with suspicion and fear, reaching, sometimes, hate. The Night Elves think the opposite: Atalladan is just an evil Being who pretends to be kind, to deceive and corrupt the minds of people, putting them against their true Savior, Falladan, the Lord of the Night.
Mythos:
In the beginning there was nothing. Then came Galladan, Lord of the Universe, and everything was done by him. Galladan first created the earth, and then he shaped it so it became beautiful. He created mountains, hills, hollows and caves. But he saw that was not enough, because the land was barren, colorless and lifeless. So he created the grass, trees, shrubs and all vegetation. He also created the rivers and seas, to quench the thirst of the plants.
He also created the Light, which gave great beauty to the world. But it was not enough, so he created the animals of all kinds. Thus, he has populated the seas, rivers, prairies and forests. However, something was missing, something really beautiful, something worthy of being called a masterpiece. Then he engaged on his new project, but this took a long time to become reality.
His first attempt resulted in total disaster, and nasty creatures such as orcs, trolls and giants, emerged. On his second attempt, he originated the dwarfs, but these were by far too ugly and gross. On the fourth attempt, got a better result, creating humans, but something was still missing to achieve perfection.
Then finally, on his fifth attempt, the elves were born, his final work. They were beautiful, tall and graceful. After the birth of the elves, he knew that his work was done, and withdrew to the far reaches of the universe, leaving his creation in the hands of his two sons, Atalladan and Falladan.
Atalladan began to develop a great love for life on the surface world, especially loving the elves, the masterpiece of his father. However, most of his attention went to the Light, because it sustained the life in the world. Therefore, he came to be known as the Lord of Light.
However, Falladan was much different. He was jealous of the love that his brother received from his father, and so hated him. He also hated everything that his brother loved, starting to hate the Light and the elves. Therefore he chose to give his attention to the underworld, where he could observe the creatures of darkness that dwelt there, and also the various metals and gems hidden in the depths of the earth. He became known as the Lord of Darkness, and became feared by the elves.
Therefore, they both entered into an agreement by dividing the creation of their father among them: Atalladan would stay with the surface world, and Falladan would stay with the Underworld.
Economy: The Light Elves are proficient in the art of agriculture and horse breeding, and the Night Elves are excellent miners and jewelers. They are also masters at weaving.
Country Names: Dhrollan Turianan (Forest Kingdom), Dhrollan Yallwin Kullianan (Kingdom of the Tower City), Dhrollan Yallwin Klui (Kingdom of the Great Tower).
If anyone wants to participate in the shared mythos that Golden1Knight, terrance, and myself are assembling, please let me know.
The general idea is that the inland sea was once home to an Empire (often called Arnval, though it had many names) in which men and dragons ruled over various "lesser" races. The Emperor's name was Tyrath, a dragon of incredible power that claimed to be the son of a fallen god. Under him was the High King of Men, and many lesser kings.
The Elves (at least of the lighter sort) under King Eledaen were the main opposing force to this Empire during the elder days. Orcs at various times have fought for or against the Empire. Ultimately, the Empire tried to challenge the gods themselves, and while they managed to kill at least one god, they were ultimately unsuccessful, and Arnval itself was destroyed by the divine flood. Tyrath himself flew into a volcano, never to be seen again (presumably).
The start of the NES could be considered as having begun just after the catastrophe in which the Empire (except for a few fragments) was destroyed.
Especially if you live near the inland sea, it would be good to consider linking your backstories at least peripherally to this one.
Location: CITY_NAME, at the foot of two mountains at the joining of two rivers
Society:At the dawning of the Age of Magic, Finn the Unwise, fair and impetuous, gathered unto herself a hundred hundred sages, god-talkers and magicians; among them, the greatest philosophers of the age. Finn and her followers, in their insanity, believed that the intelligent races had evolved from a single tribe of men, and that the races were products of magic; and that through careful reconstruction, that the language and the myth of the First Men could be derived.
The secret of the Collegium has long been lost, but all knew that Finn was a master of the vision quest--that by re-enacting the myths of the gods, members of the Collegium could gain -- some say steal -- a measure of their power.
Economy: The trade entrepot built around the Collegium, where artifacts of magical power are bartered for the necessities of life, sustains the Collegium in the absence of threats.
Country names: None. The Collegium is uninterested in expansion.
I like your idea CD and I approve so far, but it's worth noting that in the beginning your Collegium would probably resemble more a community of mystics and shamans as opposed to a "university city-state" or anything of the sort.
As one of the many fans of World of Warcraft, it would be of utmost pleasure to have a Troll character ... posting in some time. Probably close to the Orcs... Durotar/DarkSpear
Putting aside my burning hatred of Warcraft's lore, it should be noted that trolls probably resemble more a mix of Tolkienesque, giant ball of stone and hate, trolls and orcs or potentially even Tolkien's Uruk-hai than Warcraft's green and blue Jamaican orcs.
Well, yes and no. Originally I was wholly opposed to societies of trolls and giants, but I've seen some good submissions of that kind, and I'm willing to bend a little bit. Giants and trolls will probably suffer a little bit for their relation to dumber and more aggressive groups, though.
@Everybody,
While Thlayli's lore is excellent, you don't have to feel that collaborating directly with him will somehow earn you brownie points. I am looking for unique cultures everywhere, although if you are next door to him I will frown on doing something completely contradictory. That said, I have my own misgivings about his "after the fall" backstory at the very beginning of history
Well the thing is that the bits of the Empire lore mashes with what I wanted for Mal culture to accomplish in the Age of Magic.
That being said, I would wish if this Empire would actually exist in this era rather than the even more magical era preceding it. Submissions may change massively dependent on discussion with Thlayli or not.
LoE, this might be a bit too advanced for where we are right now, so I don't mind if you devolve it as you find necessary.
Culture Name: The Varjani (The Elves of Varjan)
Starting Location: The mountainous peninsula just east of the island near the western end of that central sea, and the surrounding area.
Society:
Varjani society is primarily based on clans, but these clans are not like those seen elsewhere. Each Varjani clan consists of the Varjani population of a single town – some of the larger towns have become full-fledged cities – and the farmlands and countryside surrounding that town. The clans, however, are united in a loose overarching structure, the Kajar. The Kajar is a council that meets for several days, four times a year, with each clan sending a single representative, and the Kajar passes laws that affect the entirety of Varjan, enabling for loose governance over the entirety of the realm; this also allows for easy passage for travellers between Varjani cities. It is an idealistic system, and not one without its flaws. Recently, the Kajar – and Varjan as a whole – has seen increasing tensions between the more influential clans, those that hail from the largest cities, and those smaller clans.
Each clan holds a somewhat different culture and set of values, with one important exception – worship is universally forbidden. Internally, each clan is nominally allowed to function as it wishes, but most clans are fundamentally more or less democratic, and a council of the most enlightened elders usually holding supreme executive power – no farcical aquatic ceremonies involved. Nevertheless, each clansman holds (a) different role(s) within society; from farmers and workers to merchants and travelers to warriors and sailors to scholars and , all clans run the gamut. The exact specifications of who does what, and how that is decided, vary from clan to clan. Upon coming of age, a Varjani youth may choose to remain with his birth clan, or to join a different clan; there is an awkward period of several years where said youth finds his place within his chosen clan. After this, the youth will remain for that clan for the remainder of his life.
There are exceptions – the Vagabonds. They are clanless, left to a life of poverty, wandering Varjan without purpose or belonging, and are looked down upon by everyone. Most Vagabonds become such due to being cast out from their clan, but a rare few become Vagabonds by choice; their motivations for doing so are uncertain. It is rumored that far up in the highlands, entire societies of Vagabonds exist hidden away in caves and grottoes and valleys, worshipping their gods, but these rumors are unconfirmed and usually dismissed as unfounded.
Outsiders are sometimes accepted into a clan, usually by performing a deed judged to be beneficial. However, most foreigners in Varjan are roughly equal to Vagabonds in social stature.
Religion:
A land without gods. This is Varjan.
The gods never did anything for them, why should they care? The ral, the Varjani once called their gods; but ral is now a curse, a word to be uttered only to describe the most hated of enemies. The Varjani abandoned their gods long ago, and they have no need or desire to bring them back. After all, the gods are evil, all of them. The vast, vast majority of Varjani are happier without gods, without masters – they are their own masters, in the end. It is their job to create a better place for those who follow them.
With that in mind, the pursuit of knowledge among some Varjani, particularly those scholars within the clans, approaches near-religious levels. Not merely earthly knowledge; knowledge of the arcane and the divine is encouraged as well, for if the gods strike back, Varjan must be prepared. (And also because generally knowing those otherworldly things has its uses.)
Mythos:
It had been one thousand, nine hundred, and seventy-nine years since the advent of Ralnas, Realm in the Far West, that most Holy of Places in this World. Unlike our people, the Ralnasi were short-lived, far from the three hundred years one of us could live, and far less angelic. The people of Ralnas worshipped their gods, the ral, and followed their divine biddings, like any good mortal being in this world would. Those ral, lost so far back in time that we barely remember their names, but their names are of no importance. More than every so often, these gods would quarrel, over petty matters really; the Ralnasi had little to do with these quarrels, but they would always pay the price for them. Through disaster after disaster, the Ralnasi stayed constant in their devotion to their gods, for they were told it would lead to divine salvation in the Realm Beyond.
But one that day, one thousand, nine hundred, and seventy-nine years since the advent of Ralnas, the world shook and shattered underfoot, devastating Ralnas. Thousands upon thousands of unfortunate Ralnasi perished as its great cities and temples and palaces crumbled to dust. A great wave struck from the sea, and when it receded, it took the capital of Ralnas back to its home with it.
The Ralnasi knew not what to do. The survivors gathered at one of the surviving temples. “It is you,” one of the ral told them. “It is your sin, and your failure to prostrate before me – before us – that caused this calamity. And it is you who must repent.”
And the Ralnasi took this to heart.
But in all that, there were two young elven lads. Their names are not important, and have indeed not been remembered by the many generations since – we shall call them Jix and Yan, even though those were almost certainly not their names. Jix and Yan had never met before; indeed, they lived on opposite ends of Ralnas. Yet they were fundamentally and forever connected. And that connection would soon bring them together, and they would change the world.
In the ruins of the capital, debris situated on a long-forgotten shore tens of thousands of leagues from the known world, Jix saw the city’s great library – a building that had survived the great quake, its hundreds of thousands of tomes preserved – being burned to the ground by a greatly energized mob, for the priests had marked it as “heretical.” Attempting to protest and stop such a travesty from occurring, Jix was beaten by the mob, arrested by the priests and exiled from the city.
Yan lived in a village far, far from there, on the fringes of Ralnas. His mother and his sister, and in fact most of the villagers, were starving, her, and the priests kept taking what little they had left to “sacrifice” to the ral. When Yan, one of the last healthy villagers left, tried to raid the temple stores to keep his village’s people from death, he was caught, beaten and abused by the priests, and exiled from the village.
Cast out, Jix and Yan wandered the countryside of Ralnas. For five long years, they were Vagabonds, walking the earth without purpose and without happiness. Everywhere they wandered, they saw suffering and pain and darkness, for the ruler of all Ralnas had become withdrawn, sickly, and a shadow of his former self, and the praised. It caused Jix and Yan great suffering and pain.
But, ultimately, there was one who saw their plight. It was a dragon from the east. Junebug was his name – or, in any case, that was what Jix and Yan’s descendants called him. What purpose Junebug may have had what decided to take actions into their own claws, and called for them. In restless dreams, Jix and Yan heard their names, and the name of an ancient temple to long-forgotten gods atop a hill. To there they both wandered. Arriving there, they met each other, and from the sky, Junebug descended. He took them into the sky, and promised them sanctuary.
Dawn’s orange touch was felt on the shores of Ralnas, but Jix and Yan were gone, riding the dragon’s back to a land, far, far away. They came to a new land, a land on the fringes of a vast Empire of its day, a land that promised peace, prosperity, and hope, a land without gods.
“What shall we call our new world?” Yan said.
“Varjan,” Jix said without hesitation, for it was the name of his father, one who had been killed by the gods during the shaking.
Economy: The Varjani economy is primarily based on its location as a trading hub for the majority of the western [whatever the central sea is called]. Secondarily, the Varjani coasts are also known as an ample source of various relatively valuable goods: namely, various rare foodstuffs, luxury goods, narcotics, and alcohol. All of these provide incentives for sea-plowing traders to stop at a Varjani port before moving on. The Varjani are a source of some quantity of copper, and as such there is some degree of metalworking involved.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
